Ireland Guide
Down and Armagh
Armagh city
Armagh is one of the most attractive places in the North, and the rich history of the city and its surroundings has plenty to keep you occupied for a day or two. The city offers cathedrals and museums set in handsome Georgian streets. Armagh has been the site of the Catholic primacy of All Ireland since St Patrick established his church here, and has rather ambitiously adopted the title of the "Irish Rome" for itself – like Rome, it's positioned among seven small hills. Paradoxically, the city is also the seat of the Protestant Church of Ireland's archbishop of Armagh.
Armagh has a number of events during the year, and, as you'd expect, the local St Patrick's Day Parade (March 17) is one of the largest in the country. The County fleadh (traditional music and dancing festival, usually with plenty of sessions around town) takes place in June. November sees one of Ireland's major uilleann piping events, the five-day William Kennedy Piping Festival ( 
www.armaghpipers.com ), and, at the end of the month, the Bard of Armagh humorous-poetry competition ( www.bardofarmagh.com ).